My Personal Research Journey

My Personal Research Journey

            The topic I have chosen is discipline in school and how it impacts children in poverty and also its relationship to race. Black and Hispanic children are far more likely to be suspended or expelled than white children. I feel this is important because children who live in poverty also have many other factors that make them more disadvantaged than their peers. If we are going to close the “educational gap” for these children, then we will also have to take into consideration the harmful effects that harsh discipline such as Zero Tolerance that is mentioned in a review done by the American Psychological Association (and many other sources) has on our most disadvantaged youth. I became more aware of this dilemma through discovering and reading through the website Children’s Defense Fund. From looking through their site I found one of their campaigns called Cradle to Prison Pipeline campaign (Children’s Defense Fund, n.d.). Over 40 years ago, they published a report on this topic and we are still dealing with it today.

This week, I have searched and discovered more recent research and reports on this topic. I struggled at first to find reports that suited my needs. I was relieved to finally find three to write my literature review. I am sure I will feel more comfortable searching and summarizing literature reviews in the future. Part of what helped my search was remembering what I read in our text that almost all topics have been thought of so finding one related to what I am searching should not be difficult. “When looked at that way, almost no topic is so new or unique that you can’t locate a relevant and informative related research done previously” (Trochim, Donelly, & Arora 2016, p.11).

The research chart has really been a useful tool to construct. It is helping to solidify certain terms and parts of research that I was not familiar or comfortable with. Although I feel like this course will take more of my time and concentration, I also feel like it is giving me the chance to dive into a subject that piques my interest. 

If anyone has any resources, insights, or any other information regarding my topic or my blog, please leave a comment. I would love to hear from my colleagues!

Trish

References

American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force. (2008). Are zero tolerance policies effective in the schools? An evidentiary review and recommendations. American Psychologist 63(9), 852-862. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/pubs/info/reports/zero-tolerance.pdf

Children’s Defense Fund (n.d.). Cradle to prison pipeline. Retrieved from: http://www.childrensdefense.org/campaigns/cradle-to-prison-pipeline/

Trochim, W.M., Donelly, J.P., & Arora, K. (2016). Research Methods: The essential knowledge base (2^nd ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.